What a difference a season makes. Connacht Rugby kicks off its new Pro 12 campaign on Saturday as reigning champions for the first time. No doubt there are still some players and many more supporters who are still pinching themselves to make sure last season's heroic campaign is for real. It is the same feeling Joe Connolly must have felt when he lifted the McCarthy Cup in 1980 - some 57 years after Galway last won the All Ireland - or when Galway United won the FAI Cup in 1991.

Galway was announced as the overall winner at the Irish Youth Music Awards on Saturday. The group of young people from Youth Work Ireland Galway was represented by local band JANAJ, who gave an energetic performance in the Aviva Stadium at the national final of the competition.

YOUNG GALWAY musicians will be among the finalists in this year's Irish Youth Music Awards, which takes place in Dublin next month. The Irish Youth Music Awards is a competition where teams and youth centres from all over Ireland pick a representing act and an original song.

Last week’s Claudio’s Takeaway Charlestown Athletic FC 50/50 weekly draw winner held in McLoughlin’s Bar, Charlestown was Michael Muldowney, c/o McLoughlin’s Bar, winning €400. Catriona McLoughlin was the winner of the €20 in-house draw. Also, the winner of a a free 12” Claudio’s Takeaway Pizza was Philip Craig. They also gave away two tickets to a Republic of Ireland home international at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, before Euro 2016 and the winner was Noel Seery.